“This way, please.”

Practically ushered out of the room where the commotion had taken place, I was led by a housemaid to another hanok, this one surrounded by bright, blooming roses. As I walked through it, I felt as if the people inside were whispering and stealing glances at me. 

The spotless corridors, luxurious furniture, and even the floral fragrance carried by the breeze all made me feel small and out of place. 

“Would you like to… freshen up first?”

The woman asked as she showed me into a large, spacious room. She then opened the door to an adjoining bathroom. 

A bathroom directly connected to a room? 

For someone like me, who was used to heating water in the kitchen for a bath or washing in the stream, the sight of a bathroom with running water was nothing short of astonishing. 

Yet, what unsettled me more at that moment was the way the woman looked at me, as if she were staring at something unclean. 

“…Yes. Ah, thank you.”

I mumbled, instinctively bowing and standing awkwardly until she left the room. Only then did I take a moment to slowly survey my surroundings. 

There was no sign of Woo-jin, nor could I hear his grandfather’s voice. The only sound was the faint chirping of late-summer insects, yet it felt as if unseen eyes were watching and judging me from all around. 

I should wash up, I thought. The smell of sweat clung to me, but the unease in my heart felt even heavier. 

Still, I stepped into the bathroom, locked the door behind me, and began to clean myself. 

As I turned on the faucet and cautiously splashed cold water on my body, I couldn’t help but glance around nervously. 

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening startled me. I pressed my ear against the bathroom door, straining to listen. A voice called out, “Dinner is ready,” before the door quietly shut again.

I quickly finished washing, changed into clean clothes, and stepped out of the bathroom. The room was empty except for a solitary table in the center. On it was a neatly arranged meal with an assortment of side dishes that looked delicious, but I had no appetite. 

Cautiously, I opened the window and looked outside. Beyond the room stood a cold stone wall, its surface covered in ivy, the leaves clinging tightly to the rock. 

What was really going on? Why had Woo-jin said those things? And what about the other woman—his fiancée? 

I grappled with these questions for hours, but no one came to the room to provide any answers. 

For two days, I was basically locked in the room and my requests to see Woo-jin were dismissed without a second thought.

“The young master is speaking with the elder.”

That was the only answer I received. No further explanation was given. 

The woman who brought me my meals never asked me who I was, how I got there with Woo-jin, or where I came from. I wasn’t allowed to leave the room either. 

Then, she appeared again. 

I had nothing else to do while confined in that room, so waiting for Woo-jin became my only focus. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door swung open, and I stood nervously by the window.

But the person who entered wasn’t Woo-jin – it was her. The woman who had shown up at our house claiming to be Woo-jin’s fiancée. 

“Uh…?”

I was so startled that I couldn’t say a word as she stormed toward me.

Slap!

Her hand struck my face, causing my head to snap to the side, and I was left speechless from the pain. What just happened? I had no time to process it as she raised her hand again.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” 

Woo-jin’s voice boomed as he caught her wrist mid-air. Without his intervention, my cheek would have burned from a second blow. 

“What am I doing? What does it look like I’m doing? Does this make any sense to you? Breaking our engagement for this… this woman?!”

“Yoon Seung-hye!”

Woo-jin’s tone grew sharper as he tightened his grip on her wrist. 

“Let go of me!”

Only then did I snap out of my daze.

Broken engagement

… He really ended the engagement? 

“I won’t let this go, Han Woo-jin! Not you, not your family, and especially not her!”

Yoon Seung-hye spat her words like venom, pointing her finger at both of us before storming out in a whirlwind of rage. I stood frozen, completely stunned, unable to process what had just happened. 

Yet, even in the midst of the chaos, my attention wasn’t on her—it was on Woo-jin. This was the first time I’d seen him in two days, and he looked… completely different. 

The easygoing Woo-jin from Chungmu was gone. The man before me now was polished and sophisticated, dressed in a sharp, impeccably tailored suit. His hair, slicked back with pomade, gleamed under the light, presenting the unmistakable image of an heir to a wealthy family. 

I didn’t know how to react to this version of him. Should I feel relieved to finally see him after two agonizing days of waiting? Or should I demand answers about the chaos he had thrown me into? 

And what about my brother—should I ask about his well-being first? 

“Are you okay?”

Woo-jin asked gently, stepping closer. For a moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but I forced it down. This wasn’t the time to break down. 

“What is going on here?”

I asked, my voice tight, barely concealing my frustration. Woo-jin gave me a faint smile, one that felt both comforting and burdened. 

“Our family… impressive, isn’t it?”

Outside, ivy clung to the stone wall, its vines stretching upwards as if desperate to survive. 

“When Joseon fell to Japan, they sided with the occupiers to secure business rights and opportunities…” 

I stared at him, speechless. 

“During the occupation, they accumulated wealth through privileges and corruption. And when Japan lost the war, they quickly rebranded themselves as loyal supporters of the Korean empire and climbed their way back to the top,” he continued. 

As I stood frozen, he turned and leaned against the window frame. He still carried the same composed and striking demeanor, but his eyes now held a weighty darkness I had never seen before. 

“Every brick of this house, every wooden floorboard, every beam—even the flowers in the garden… not a single thing here is clean, Soon-young.” 

I was at a loss for words. I had always found it unsettling that he rarely talked about himself, but I never imagined that when he finally did, it would be something like this.